にほんブログ村
Hello, I’m Yasui, president of a company that mainly conducts inspections of high-pressure gas facilities.
Let me start with three recommended books:
Jeff Bezos – Invent & Wander
A great book for developing a long-term perspective.Stephen R. Covey – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
A must-read for building a better life and mindset.Tadashi Yanai – Face Reality
In this book, the founder of UNIQLO explains what it truly means to “face reality.” It’s great for developing a more objective, meta-level perspective. Since Yanai is known to read Peter Drucker extensively, his thinking is well worth exploring.
A quiet husband and a wife who goes along with him.
When something bothers him, he sighs… creating a heavy atmosphere.
“Why don’t you understand me?”
Well, if you don’t put things into words, even things that could be understood won’t be.
It’s something I’ve only come to realize fairly recently.
The husband works hard, and the wife manages the household.
That’s how things are in our home as well.
Back in my mid-30s, when I was struggling with stagnant sales and feeling mentally worn down, I once told my wife that I wanted her to work outside the home too.
Of course, she refused.
Both of us were stuck thinking,
“Why don’t you understand me?”
And the air at home often felt tense and heavy.
Instead of solving things within the relationship, I looked for solutions outside—
which only made things worse.
In the end, I had no choice but to give up on that idea and just keep working hard.
And through that, I gradually came to realize things—and the tension naturally faded.
Only recently did I truly understand this:
The reason I’ve been able to focus so much on work is because my wife has been handling all the small problems that come with daily life.
When a child gets sick and can’t go to school.
When a parent needs to be taken to the hospital.
When paperwork for hospitalization needs to be handled.
When unexpected issues arise.
Through all of that, I’ve been able to prioritize work—because she was there.
Even if a husband were to think,
“I’m the one putting food on the table!”
That’s something you should never say out loud. (I’ve never thought that… probably. Haha.)
So I started doing something simple:
I began putting small expressions of gratitude into words.
At first, I’m sure it didn’t really land.
Which is understandable.
For example:
How would you feel if a boss who never says thank you suddenly did?
You’d probably be suspicious, right?
I’ve heard that relationships with your spouse are like a bank account—built on trust.
But in my case, that account was already empty.
So the question became:
How do you rebuild that trust?
One small step at a time.
When spoken to, I put down my phone, look at the person, and listen.
When having a conversation, I think about whether they want advice, help, or just someone to listen.
How you interact with your children is also being watched—
whether you’re truly present, whether you’re engaging with them properly.
And above all, you have to put your thoughts into words.
For example, why do I keep exercising?
It’s not just about liking it or feeling good.
I try to communicate that I’m living with a view toward the future—
that there’s intention and purpose behind my actions.
Of course, when I first said things like that, the reaction was sometimes:
“What the hell does that even mean?” (laughs)
Because underneath it all, what was really being asked was:
“Help me now.”
You have to understand that first.
Act for the other person first.
If you want something, you need to give first.
I realized that family relationships work the same way.
Even if they don’t understand at first, over time, the intention behind your words will sink in.
But that can only happen if you actually express those thoughts.
Put your gratitude and feelings into words.
When your home is stable and harmonious, your life clearly improves.
And when things aren’t going well, you shouldn’t look for solutions outside.
Family is a much smaller, more human place.
Care about the other person.
That’s the essence of all relationships.
Thank you very much for reading to the end!
See you next time!
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